What is the sewage system?

A sewerage system, or wastewater collection system, is a network of pipes, pumping stations, and appurtenances that convey sewage from its points of origin to a point of treatment and disposal.

What are the different types of sewer systems?

The three types of sewers are sanitary sewers, storm sewers, and combined sewers. All three of these sewer systems play important roles in ensuring that the waste we produce is transported and treated properly.

How does a sewage system work?

In the ideal case, a sewer system is completely gravity-powered, like a septic system. Pipes from each house or building flow to a sewer main that runs, for example, down the middle of the street. The sewer mains flow into progressively larger pipes until they reach the wastewater treatment plant.

Is the sewage treatment plant the same as the sewer system?

The term “sewage treatment plant” is often used interchangeably with the term “wastewater treatment plant”. For most cities, the sewer system will also carry a proportion of industrial effluent to the sewage treatment plant that has usually received pre-treatment at the factories to reduce the pollutant load.

How is sewage treated in a developing country?

In developing countries and in rural areas with low population densities, sewage is often treated by various on-site sanitation systems and not conveyed in sewers. These systems include septic tanks connected to drain fields, on-site sewage systems (OSS), vermifilter systems and many more.

When did the sewage system start in ancient Rome?

The sewage system as a whole did not really take off until the arrival of the Cloaca Maxima, an open channel that was later covered, and one of the best-known sanitation artifacts of the ancient world. Most sources believe it was built during the reign of the three Etruscan kings in the sixth century BC.

What are the different stages of sewage treatment?

Treating wastewater has the aim to produce an effluent that will do as little harm as possible when discharged to the surrounding environment, thereby preventing pollution compared to releasing untreated wastewater into the environment. Sewage treatment generally involves three stages, called primary, secondary and tertiary treatment.